SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Making its eighth-straight appearance in the NAIA National Tournament, the No. 18-ranked Corban University men's soccer team is ready to battle it out against some of the NAIA's best this weekend at the NAIA Opening Round. The Warriors are one of four squads who will be at Westmont College, competing for a berth to the NAIA Championships Final Site in Columbia County, Ga.

Corban will start the opening round tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. with a matchup against No. 15-ranked Westmont College, the host of the event. The winner of the semifinal bout will advance to take on the victor of (RV) UC Merced and No. 1-ranked Central Methodist on Saturday in the tournament championship.

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Corban (8-1-1) is coming off the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) West Division Championship, and will look to ascend to the top of the talented four-team ensemble and make a return to the final site, something it last accomplished in 2018.

As a team, Corban ranks fifth in the NAIA in goals per game (3.7) and eighth in the country in assists per game (2.7). The current program record for goals per match in a single season is 3.3 (2003).

The Navy and Gold will be bringing in a talented roster to the event, which features six All-Conference honorees. Offensively, 2020 CCC West Division Offensive Player of the Year and 2019 All-American Honorable Mention Matheus Giron figures to spearhead the squad's efforts, entering this weekend's action with a team-leading 12 goals. Giron has also dished out sixth assists, the second most on the squad, and his three points-per-game average ranks third in the entire NAIA. He has consistently delivered in big moments, and he sits at No. 4 in the NAIA in game-winning goals per game (0.5) and No. 6 in game-winning goals (5).

First-Team All-CCC award-winner Noe Favila has also been at the center of the action all season, ranking second on the team in goals (5) and topping the squad in assists (7), and his offensive prowess will serve as a huge asset for this squad this weekend. Chadwayne Johnson—a Second-Team All-Conference midfielder—racked up a trio of goals and an assist in 2021, and he will undoubtedly be another player to watch.

One of the reasons the team has enjoyed so much success in the past two seasons is the incredible depth of talent present on the Warrior roster. Eleven different players have found the back of the net this spring, and attackers such as Charles Cleyton (three goals, three assists), Nate Sherwood (one goal, three assists), Evan Hoover (two goals), Giancarlo Canas (two goals), and Eric Bengana (three goals, one assist) all boast dynamic play-making ability for head coach Tim Kagey and company.

Defensively, Carlos Llamosa captains the Navy and Gold back line, and has not only played a significant role in the squad's impressive 0.78 goals-against-average, but also on the offensive end. He is third on the team with four goals, and tied for third with three assists. All-Conference Honorable Mention Robin Terry is among the most talented defenders in the entire CCC, and his presence on the back line will also be a key part of Corban's success.

First-Team All-Conference goalkeeper Justin Keegan will anchor the squad between the pipes, coming off an impressive 2020-21 regular season, during which he compiled five clean sheets en route to a 0.87 goals-against average.

Corban has faced off with Westmont on four previous occasions, with the squad from Santa Barbara holding a 2-0-2 advantage. The last time the two teams met was on September 8, 2018.

The tournament host institution earned its place in the opening round via the Golden State Athletic Conference (CCC) Tournament Championship, after going 5-0-1 in the GSAC West Division. Junior Samuel Tuscano of San Clemente, Calif. and freshman Braeden Pryor of Tacoma, Wash. are the top-two goals scorers for the squad with five apiece. Westmont has seen 12 different players find the back of the net this year.

A native of Malmo, Sweden, Mans Ingvarson has defended the net for Westmont this season, allowing just four goals over eight games for a goals-against average of 0.50.

Competing in the other semifinal match, UC Merced and top-ranked Central Methodist will square off at 1 p.m. on Thursday, shortly after Corban and Westmont go toe-to-toe.

All eyes will be on the No. 1-ranked Eagles, who are the two-time defending NAIA National Champions. In 18 games, the squad has only been beaten once, and that was on the road at NCAA Division I Central Arkansas on March 5. The defeat snapped a 32-game winning streak that stretched back to September 7, 2018.

The Eagles earned their spot in the national tournament with a Heart of America Conference (HAC) Regular-Season Championship (12-0 HAC), before also claiming the HAC Tournament Championship.

Central Methodist is pioneered offensively by Tom Irion, who has tallied 10 goals and one assist, and Christian Sanchez, who has registered six goals and one assist. Marcos German–an NAIA All-American who hails from Madrid, Spain—leads the team with nine assists.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats—who faced off with the Navy and Gold last season in the 2019 NAIA Opening Round in a thriller that went to penalty kicks—will vie for the upset against the defending national champions. Merced swept both the Cal Pac Regular-Season and Tournament Championships, and have yet to surrender a goal this season. The offense—led by Andres Lua (8 goals, three assists) and Juan Flores (five goals, four assists)—is averaging 3.75 goals per game so far in the 2021 spring slate, ranking fourth in the NAIA.

The winner of the four-team tournament will advance to the NAIA Championships Final Site, which will take place in Columbia County, Ga. on May 4-10.